Right now, this is a space to practice scrollytelling, but it will eventually be a fully-reported piece.

Below, you will see data from the National Inventory of Dams, which documents all of the known dams in the country.

Georgia is home to over 5,500 dams, the fifth-most in the country.

A closer look at the dams in Georgia

Sallacoa Creek Watershed Dam No. 77

Location: Gordon County

Purpose: Flood risk reduction

Height: 56 ft.

Condition: Unsatisfactory

Last Inspection: March 22, 2016

Cochran Lake Dam

Location: Cobb County

Purpose: Recreation

Height: 31 ft.

Condition: Unsatisfactory

Last inspection: March 7, 2019

Dams with

no owner

of record

Sallacoa Creek Watershed Dam No. 77

Location: Gordon County

Purpose: Flood risk reduction

Height: 56 ft.

Condition: Unsatisfactory

Last Inspection: March 22, 2016

Cochran Lake Dam

Location: Cobb County

Purpose: Recreation

Height: 31 ft.

Condition: Unsatisfactory

Last inspection: March 7, 2019

Dams with

no owner

of record

There are 5,533 recorded dams in Georgia.

High-hazard, or "Category I," dams are ones where failure would likely result in the loss of human life.

Georgia has the highest concentration of high-hazard dams in poor condition in the country. "Poor" condition means during the dam’s most recent inspection, a certified engineer identified deficiencies in the structure. State law requires these dams to be repaired.

At least 17 dams in Georgia have no owner of record. There are only two other dams in the country with no owner of record listed in the National Inventory of Dams.

At least 17 dams in Georgia have no owner of record. There are only two other dams in the country with no owner of record listed in the National Inventory of dams.

These dams are owned by HOA’s, local Soil & Water Conservation Districts, private citizens and more. Repairs can easily exceed a million dollars — typically beyond the budget of many of these organizations and individuals.